Leaves of Gold
by InnocentFighter
Summary: We made the promise when the leaves where glinting gold from evening light. I remember the wind blew causing a chill and a single leaf to fall from the tree. It landed on your head, before it fell to the ground. Angst Jean/Eren, yaoi don't like don't read. Romantic themes.


***Whistles* It was 2 am and I was listening to sad music and got hit with Jeaneren feels, and then a couple of ideas popped into my head, and this was one of them and it was short and I should probably be working on studying but ya' know. So enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER I DO NOT OWN AoT/SnK**

* * *

We made the promise when the leaves where glinting gold from evening light.  
I remember the wind blew causing a chill and a single leaf to fall from the tree. It landed on your head, before it fell to the ground.  
Somehow we had gotten a few stolen minutes. You smiled, and you looked like an angel. At that time you looked the part of humanities greatest hope.  
Even I, a hopeless man, felt the heat of the torch you carried.  
Sometime between the slow caresses and breathy noises you asked me to promise you something.  
The words said in that rough yet boyish voice still haunt me. "Always return to me."  
It was an easy thing to promise, in the moment. I know now I couldn't have guaranteed that I always would.  
I was selfish. I asked for something in return. A promise for a promise.  
"Go where I can follow."  
We stayed there; under that tree past the time that the last of the orange light hid behind the land and the golden leaves turned to colorless shadows in the pale light.  
That was the only night my dreams weren't tormented by screams of comrades, bodies of friends lifeless, the earth shaking as the would-be instrument of my death came closer.  
I know it was the same for you.

* * *

That morning it was warm, bright, calm. It had rained the night before, the sky was lamenting what the morning would bring.  
Unlike that night we weren't alone, so many people were there. Faces I hadn't seen or would ever see again.  
I wanted to be sick.  
Remember how just yesterday we saw the first flower since the cold? It was small and purple, it was growing out of the rubble. You smiled, bandage hiding the eye that still hadn't healed.  
I miss that green.  
That next morning, buzzing with hope, you were hauled up to the stages. Arms bound behind your back. They forced you to kneel.  
The blade reflected the light into my eyes as it was raised.  
Something went right that day after all. While I was blinded they brought the sword down.  
I closed my eyes. The sound still got to me though. I couldn't do anything.  
I felt powerless once more.  
The birds chirped almost mockingly. The air seemed to have been shoved out of my lungs. My knees wanted to give out.  
The torch you carried lit a larger one and you and I died with the original one. You literally.  
I hate this, the air is burning my lungs now. I caused your death. The vote to do this, I had to. Duty demanded it of me.  
You always said that duty came first. Will you forgive me?  
My footsteps were heavy, my body weighed down by guilt, hate, sorrow. The wind blew now, bringing the scent of something sweet to my nose. Perusing it was out of my league.

* * *

It took until the flowers were numerous and the smell of honey was common for me to visit the stone that was placed where they dumped your ashes.  
I kneeled down, water from the grass soaking through to my knees. My hand felt the roughness of the bolder. The silence for once was oppressing.  
I stayed like that until I was greeted with the light of evening casted an eerie glow, reminiscent of the fire that they used to burn the bodies.  
I shifted so I was looking at the sky. Slowly the sky turned from golden and red to dark blue then black with only white light.  
It was then I spoke, my voice scratchy from silence and my joints stiff from being stationary.  
"I returned to you. Though by the time I did you had gone to a place that I couldn't follow."  
My only answer was the shiver than wracked my frame from the chilling gust of wind that blew.  
At least I remember that golden leaf day.

* * *

**I'm back? I have things to do and most of them involve sad stories, so be on the lookout for any new stuff I'm going to put out! Four more days of school you little beauties and then I'm at the mercy of my writing. Shit is going to happen.**


End file.
